From the Office of Marty Walt

According to one of the many companies we represent for personal home and auto insurance, Travelers Insurance Company found damage caused by water accounted for 28 percent of all property claims in the state of North Carolina between April 2009 and October 2009, compared to three percent for fire. Furthermore, weather accounted for only five percent of those water damage claims, meaning that proper maintenance within the home may help homeowners avoid some of these problems. While this is Oregon and not North Carolina, the same cause for concern exists.

The Dodge Dart, the model Chrysler is betting on becoming a top-selling small car, was among four new vehicles on the U.S. market to receive a top crash-test rating by an influential safety group on Wednesday.

The 2013 Dart, the first model jointly engineered and designed by Fiat SpA and Chrysler Group LLC, was named a "Top Safety Pick" by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Three other 2013 models, each one redesigned from previous model years, also earned the top rating: the Hyundai Motor Co. crossover Santa Fe, the Lexus ES 350 midsize luxury sedan, and the Subaru XV Crosstrek hatchback.

The rating means that each vehicle performed well in test crashes evaluating front, side and rear impacts as well as rollovers.

To understand what stop gap coverage is and who needs it, one must first understand how workers compensation and employers liability insurance interact. A key coverage of standard workers compensation insurance is the payment of benefits to employees injured on the job. These benefits are paid without regard to fault in exchange for the employee's giving up his/her right to sue the employer.